In this contribution, first synthesis of semiconducting ZnSiN 2 and ZnGeN 2 from solution is reported with supercritical ammonia as solvent and KNH 2 as ammonobasic mineralizer.T he reactions were conducted in custom-built highpressure autoclaves made of nickel-based superalloy.T he nitrides were characterized by powder X-ray diffractiona nd their crystal structures were refinedb yt he Rietveld method. ZnSiN 2 (a = 5.24637(4), b = 6.28025(5), c = 5.02228(4) , Z = 4, R wp = 0.0556) and isotypic ZnGeN 2 (a = 5.46677(10), b = 6.44640(12), c = 5.19080(10) , Z = 4, R wp = 0.0494) crystallize in the orthorhombic space group Pna2 1 (no. 33). The morphology and elemental composition of the nitrides were examined by electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Well-definedsingle crystalswith adiameter up to 7 mmw ere grownb ya mmonothermal synthesis at temperatures between 870 and 1070 Ka nd pressures up to 230 MPa. Optical properties have been analyzed with diffuse reflectance measurements. The band gaps of ZnSiN 2 and ZnGeN 2 were determined to be 3.7 and 3.2 eV at room temperature, respectively.I ns itu X-ray measurements were performed to exemplarily investigate the crystallization mechanism of ZnGeN 2 .D issolution in ammonobasic supercritical ammonia between 570 and6 70 Kw as observed which is quite promising for the crystal growth of ternary nitrides under ammonothermalconditions.